Date Night Suggestion

- dinner & ice cream
- walking like you said
- outdoor concert (often free/cheap) tied to museums or outdoor ampitheaters
- bowling
- putt putt golf
- the zoo
- Botanical gardens
- star-gazing at a nearby park on a clear night
- picnic at a nearby park
- comedy club
- go get new/matching tattoos
- browse the local pet store looking at all the animals

HAVE FUN!

Stay home and have sex!! :) :) :) :) :)

Why don't you ask him what he'd like to do? Then maybe you guys can work out a deal where on date nights, you do something he wants to do, and then the next time, something you want to do. It may make him or both of you realize you like doing different things and both of you will get what you want at least 1/2 the time. My husband hates going to the movies, so we compromise and only do it every couple of months and find things that both of us like to do the other times. I'm pretty easy going, so any time we get a night out, I really don't care what we do as long as it's kid-free!

Brainstorm for idea for activities you can enjoy together- make it fun by using a timer to speed up the process. You come up with a list and let your husband come up with a list of things he would like to do.

Sit together and share ideas and negotiate/agree on something you both can do together. May be take turns, trying an idea from each list. Create a LOVE CONNECTION CONTRACT.

Here are few that we like/ enjoy together-

Taking walks, reading to each other, listening to a book on tape together, cooking together, bowling, having a indoor picnic, dream building for our family's future, giving each other a massage- making a spa date at home, going out to try new food/new restaurant, board games, watching movies together, going to outdoor events in your community.

Have fun and laugh often.

NP

fly kites.
go bowling.
rent a boat- take a picnic along.
go wine tasting at wineries.
Go to a car museum
go test drive some cars at a car lot
go to a public rose garden or conservatory
go bird watching with binoculars and a feild guide
go to a motel
find a dinner place that has free music also
go to comedy shows
go to the book store
go for coffee
go get a portrait taken together- just you two. If you can't afford that- go to the photo booths at the mall and take one!
Find a japanese tea garden
if either of you draw, have one person draw the other. (take a picnic!)
Go to an art gallery
get great tickets at a concert- as a surprise!

It is hard to get out of the comfortable rut of dinner and a movie. You could go bowling, go to a museum, go on a picnic, taking a cooking class together, getting a massage, miniature golf, go karts, laser tag... Look up your cities web site and you will find activities going on in the community you may not have known about.

I have friends that go on a date once a week but they have a $10 budget. They also take turns planning things to do. $10 is not much money and you have to get very creative, but it sure will change up the dates.

Good for you and your hubby for spending some time alone. My hubby and I have not gone on a date in so very long. He works out of town during the week so I hate taking him away from our kiddos during the weekend. Thanks to you we will be going on a date this weekend!

How about going to Navy Pier, Shedd's Aquarium, or a stroll around Chicago? Personally, I love all the cool restaurants that Chicago has to offer.

Love the windy city,

M

well, we have done one date night in years, and it was kind of a let down because we wanted to make the most out of it, while in reality, we were both wanting to be home with our kids. so we went to a restaurant, literary 3 minutes from our house, ate the dinner in record time, and we called it a night. if i ever become comfortable leaving my kids with a sitter, i would choose something where my husband and i could talk, reminisce about old times, make little plans, or say nothing, just enjoy the quiet. so i wouldn't put too much pressure into it. i agree with your hubby though, don't make me go do something physical when it's supposed to be quiet time :) between you too. so my vote is dinner and drinks.

One time, we toured the placed we used to go when we first met and drank and ate along the way. It was fun and reminded us of the reasons we fell in love. We also have a great time playing darts or pool - cheap, don't have to get dressed up and interactive. Whatever you do - good for you for getting out - SO IMPORTANT. Enjoy!

K.,
how about a Museum? go bowling, skating? and tell him he needs to ride the bike more often so his bottom gets use to it, lol :)

My huband and I like to do laster tag and minigolf on our date nights. It's super fun. We usually don't tell the kids we went there though.

Good suggestions so far...a couple things that have NOT been mentioned yet: take a class together (like foreign language, pottery, photography, cooking, art appreciation, bonsai or gardening, latin dance-or whatever kind)? shakespeare in the park, a concert in the park, or checking out an act at house of blues? (been forever since we've gone to a concert!) Choose a cause and volunteer together-homeless shelter, spca, taking care of horses at a rehabilitative farm, organizing a fun run, there's a MILLION opportunities to volunteer. One thing we like to do is just walk around downtown and talk, maybe get some icecream, but then afterwards go to a bookstore and pick out a country we've never been to in the travel section and plan a dream vacation together in the bookstore's coffee shop. Last time, we "went" to India. It's fun to compare interests and pretend a little. Anything that gets both of you talking, laughing, or learning something new is good in my book.

What made both of you happy when you met?

We do a lot of date nights in... they are sometimes more fun :) We have drinks on the porch together, play card/board games, take baths, karaoke...lol! There is so many things that you can do together at home. Open a bottle of wine and sometimes the night leads you in a fun direction. You could even drink it and cook dinner together. Or have him grill while you both have a glass ;) You can play poker for "favors" if you really want to have fun...he he he!

These are some of the things my boyfriend is always trying to get me to do: go carts, mini golf, picnics, surfing, bowling, ice skating... go to the SPCA and just look at the pups waiting to be adopted... go to a museum (big favorite here, with or without the kids)... just mix it up, do something different. Both of you sit down and make a 'bucket list' of stuff you might want to try before you die, and start going down the list. Visit an aquarium. I don't know! These are just some of the things we toss around :) HAVE FUN! Now I want to plan my own date night, sans kids ;)